Two American racing legends, Carroll Shelby and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, will be on stage when the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and Shelby Automobiles sell the original concept car for the Prudhomme Edition Super Snake Shelby GT500 Mustang on Oct. 9, 2009.
The rare Shelby concept car will be sold at No Reserve during Barrett-Jackson’s second annual Las Vegas Collector Car Auction, taking place Oct. 7-10, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
“Concept cars and prototypes are sought by collectors because they represent a historical milestone and so few are offered to the public,” said Barrett-Jackson Chairman/CEO Craig Jackson. “Barrett-Jackson has become the premier venue for these types of vehicles. This is the first time that Shelby Autos has sold one of its concept cars at auction and we’re pleased that Carroll and Don plan to be on stage for such an important occasion.”
Racing legends Carroll Shelby and Don Prudhomme joined forces to build the ultimate street legal dragster. Shelby is the only man to ever win the 24 hours of Le Mans as a driver, team owner, and manufacturer and was twice named Sports Car Illustrated’s Driver of the Year. Prudhomme’s successful racing career included winning the NHRA funny car championship four times and he was the first funny car driver to exceed 250 mph.
“Don Prudhomme is one fast son of a gun who knows how to burn up the quarter-mile,” stated Carroll Shelby. “In 1968, he drove a Shelby Super Snake dragster in NHRA for me. Last year, we decided to build a car together for grassroots racers who want a Shelby for the drags. This is the concept for that program and it’s a very fast car.”
“In the 1960s, Shelbys ruled the road courses and terrorized the drag strip,” noted Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “This car was built in the same spirit as the Cobra ‘Dragon Snake’ that made Shelby a feared name on the quarter mile. The Prudhomme Edition concept is a real piece of history and a very exclusive car.”
The Prudhomme Edition Super Snake is powered by a 5.4-liter, supercharged engine that produces 800hp on race fuel or 750hp on 93 octane pump gas. Only 100 Prudhomme Super Snake post-title packages are being offered by Shelby Autos to current GT500 owners. The package features a Kenne Belle supercharger and modified air intake sticking out of the hood in a tilt front end
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Carroll and the Shelby Autos team on this program,” added Prudhomme. “When I was a kid, we’d drive our cars to the drag strip, race them, and drive back home. We designed this car to do the same thing, and do it very, very well.”
In addition to the live auction, attendees can review the impressive vehicles for sale, enjoy exhibitors offering an array of merchandise, and play the Barrett-Jackson slot machines for a chance to win a new car. For those who can’t attend, SPEED will provide live, high-definition TV coverage of all auction days.